Grissom Meets His Daughter
by rivendaen
Summary: A short, sweet story where Grissom gets to meet the daughter he hasn't seen in twenty years. chapter 6 added! (short chapter)
1. Chapter 1

It had been ages since Candi had seen her father and she was very nervous. She had learned from her stepfather that he worked in Las Vegas as a Crime Scene Investigator. He had done the same job back in New York. After her relationship with him depreciated when her mother died, she came out west to find her real father. Walking the streets of Vegas was scary business but she didn't worry. One way or another she would meet her father tonight. When she arrived at the Crime Lab, the receptionist looked up to her and smiled.

"How can I help you?" she asked kindly. Candi took in a deep breath and placed her hands ont eh desk.

"I'm here to see my father," she replied. The lady stared at her.

"And who might that be?" Candi swallowed.

"Gil Grissom. I'm here to see him," she repeated. The lady's eyes went wide.

"Grissom?" she repeated, before shaking her head. "Yes yes…" She glanced to the computer screen at her side. "He isn't in right now, but you can wait in his office and I'll send him right in when he gets here." She looked to the man in the seat next to her. "Rob, would you escort this young lady to Grissom's office?" The tall man nodded and rose to his feet. Candi followed him and once they reached the office, he motioned her in.

At first she was uncomfortable, but soon made herself at home. This would be interesting. She hadn't come out here looking for a replacement, she came out here to see her father. She was angry at him. He walked out of her life twenty years ago and now she wanted to know why. Leaning back in her chair, she placed her feet on his desk and waited.

Stumped, Grissom sighed as he entered the Crime Lab. He couldn't believe there was no where to go from here. All the evidence pointed to Lucas Harper, but they still couldn't convict him. What he wanted to do now was go to his office and look over the case file. Maybe there was something he'd missed. He found that highly unlikely, but possible. As he passed the reception, the secretary called to him.

"Grissom!" she called quietly. He turned his head to her and she motioned him over. Greg and Nick stopped in their tracks behind him. "A girl was here for you." He stared at her.

"And? Where is she?" he asked as he adjusted his glasses. "What did she want?"

"I sent her to wait in your office, she claimed to be your daughter." Behind him, Greg dropped the forensics kit and Nick dropped the box of clothes he was carrying.

"Daughter?" Grissom said curiously. Suddenly he remembered. "Shit," he muttered. Without a word to Greg and Nick, he headed down the hall.

"Daughter?" Nick repeated. After picking up his mess, he followed Grissom, Greg not far behind.

When he reached his office, Grissom carefully entered to find a tall, dark haired girl seated behind his desk. He was shocked to find she did resemble the young girl he'd left behind twenty years ago.

"Candice?" he said in shock as he slowly approached the desk. She swung around in the chair with a smirk on her face.

"Dad," she said smugly. He stared at her. She did look an awful lot like her mother. Again, he heard Greg drop the forensics took kit.

"Candi?" he blurted. She looked to him and her face brightened.

"Greg!" she exclaimed. "You never mentioned you worked for my father." He stared at her.

"You never mentioned Grissom was your father," he told her. She rose to her feet and walked over to him.

"I guess you're right," she shrugged, then looked back to Grissom. "It's been a while," she said hostilely. He shook his head.

"I'm really sorry about that," he told her. "But work took precedence over everything back then," he said apologetically.

"Yah, and you never even contacted me. I had to learn from my stepfather that you were still alive and well. He's a CSI too you know. In New York." She walked over to the desk and took a seat in it. "You didn't even try to contact us after you left. How could you? Do you know that mom was killed in 9/11?" There was sorrow in her voice. He suddenly felt really guilty.

"She was?" he said, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Yah," she replied. "That's why I came out here," she said sharply. "So I could make you feel guilty in person."

"I am truly sorry," he glanced back to Nick and Greg. "Could you leave us for a moment?" he asked. Greg and Nick groaned and exited the office.

Grissom couldn't believe this. He finally gets to see his daughter after twenty years and she only came to tell him what a jerk he was.

"I suppose you're right," he told her as he walked over to his desk. "After your mother and I split, I became so wrapped up in my work nothing mattered anymore. I am very sorry though and if I could take back every moment that I missed, I would." She sneered and glared at him.

"Save it for someone who cares," she muttered. "I just thought I'd let you know I'm doing ok without you." Heading for the door, he stopped her.

"Don't do this," he said softly. "I really care about you and I wanna know everything that I missed." She took in a deep breath and sorrow clouded her face.

"You're right," she murmured. "It has been a long time and I have missed you; but I don't know you." He felt his heart break, but managed a faint smile.

"All the more reason to stay and catch up."

Nick stared at Greg as they exited Grissom's office. He couldn't believe any of this was happening. Not only did Grissom have a daughter, but she was dating Greg. How could he not know about this? It all seemed to weird to him. Greg seemed a little shocked himself.

"Hey bud, you gonna be OK?" he asked. Greg took in a deep breath.

"How could I have not known who she was? I've been dating her for three months. She moved here in September and it's January. I mean I knew about her mother and her stepfather. But how come she never told me about Grissom?" Nick shook his head.

"It never came up?" his response was more of a question. Greg groaned.

"I'm in for it. Grissom's gonna shoot me for sure." Nick shrugged.

"I'm not so sure. She didn't seem so happy, I don't think they're very close." Greg sighed.

"I guess you're right, but still…"

Nick changed the subject as they entered the lab. Putting the box of clothes on the table, he grinned.

"You ready to spend the rest of the night processing?"


	2. Chapter 2

After an hour and a half, Greg and Nick decided to take a break. With all the evidence they had accumulated, it was strange how they just couldn't convict this guy. He wouldn't confess, which made it harder. Greg took in a deep breath and glanced to Grissom's office, Candi and him had been in there for a while.

"I guess catching up on twenty years of your life takes a while," Nick commented, as if he'd read Greg's mind. Greg nodded and as they entered the coffee room down the hall, they heard Grissom's door slam.

"Candi, wait!" Grissom called.

"Why should I?" she shouted. "Mom was right about you! All you care about is your work!" Greg watched as she stormed by them. Nick glanced to him.

"You take her, I'll talk to Grissom." Greg stared at his friend.

"Do you know what she's like when she's angry?" he asked. He knew Candi had an awful temper and speaking to her when she was angry was like trying to get blood from a stone.

"Then I'll talk to her and you take Grissom." Greg continued to stare at his co-worker. He shook his head and took a few steps back.

"I'll go find her," he said as he turned around. He heard Nick laughing behind him. When he caught up with Candi, she was seated on a bench outside. "What happened in there?" he asked breathlessly. She looked up to him and he noticed her eyes were tearstained. "Oh Candi," he said as he took a seat next to her. Wrapping his arms around her he took in a deep breath. "Are you OK?" She tore away from him and shook her head.

"My mother as right about him. All he thinks about is his work, he obviously didn't care enough about me to try and contact me or even talk about me." Greg shook his head.

"No… no… no…" he said quietly. "That's not it, Grissom's a wonderful guy and he probably missed you very much. It's probably painful for him too." More tears ran down her cheeks.

"This was a waste of time, maybe I'll go back to New York. I'm sure me and Mac can work things out," she murmured as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Greg shook his head againa nd placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

"Don't leave Candi. The time you've been out here has been great. Before I met you I was a lost, lonely man. You've changed my life and now you've changed Grissom's. Just give him a chance. You'll see." She glanced over to meet his gaze.

"Really?" she whispered. He smiled.

"Of course. Besides, you've made a nice life for yourself out here. You have a nice little apartment, a great job and the cutest little Pug." A smile formed on her quivering lips.

"I guess you're right; and if I left I'd have to start all over again in New York." He nodded.

"Yah," he took her hand and pulled her up. "Now come on, let's go find Grissom and try to talk again."

After a useless search, Nick found Grissom in his office. This baffled him because he swore he'd seen him go in the other direction. His boss was seated at his desk staring at the file for the current case.

"You know Lucas Harper was convicted of attempted murder eight years ago?" he said. Nick stared at him.

"How can you be thinking of Lucas Harper at a time like this?" he asked. Grissom closed the file and sat up straight.

"Because it's my job and if we don't wrap this up soon we'll lose him." Nick groaned and took a seat in front of the desk.

"You know, some things are more important than that," he said as he crossed his legs. "Like the love and respect of the daughter you never knew." Grissom stared at his friend.

"Since when is this any of your business?" he asked. Nick uncrossed his legs and leaned forward.

"Since it involves my friends. Candi is Greg's girlfriend, Greg is my friend and Candi is your daughter. I think I reserve some right to stick my nose in here," he said sharply. Grissom sighed.

"You're right, but what am I supposed to do? Things were great in my life before now; but she is my daughter and I should get to know her. I don't know her though, I never spoke of her because I was ashamed what I did back then. Now she's back in my life and I feel like I need to be a father all over again. A responsibility I couldn't do twenty years ago, and I'm not capable of doing now," he pointed out. Nick shook his head and rose to his feet.

"You don't need to be her father, but you can be her friend," he said as he backed toward the door. "Think about that." Without another word, he left. In the hallway, he ran into Greg and Candi. She appeared a bit happier but he could still see anger in her eyes.

"Maybe you should try again," he said to her. "There's more to Grissom than he lets on." She nodded and looked to Grissom's office. Quickly she glanced to Greg.

"You get back to work, I think I can handle this." Once she disappeared into the office, Nick and Greg headed back to the lab. On the way there, they ran into Warrick.

"Hey guys, who was that?" he asked as he pointed to Grissom's office.

"Candi," Nick replied. Warrick looked to Greg and smiled.

"The Candi? The one you haven't shut up about?" he laughed. Greg nodded.

"Very funny, and yes, as a matter of fact it is."

"So, what's she doing in Grissom's office?" he asked as he followed the boys to the lab. He was working a different case, trying to catch a serial rapist than was unpredictable.

"He's her father," Nick replied, he waited for a response. After a few short moments, Warrick dropped his coffee.

"Father? Whoa, Whoa… Grissom has a kid? How come I never knew about this?" Nick laughed.

"Cause no one did, until tonight."

"Not even Greg?" he looked to his co-worker. Greg rolled his eyes.

"Would everyone please stop saying that? Sure, I didn't know. But I also felt it was none of my business. Not unless she wanted to tell me. Now leave it alone, ok?" Warrick nodded and glanced to the clothes that were spread over the table.

"Getting anywhere?" he asked. Nick shook his head.

"No," he looked to the coffee puddle on the floor. "But you'd better mop that up before Grissom sees it." Warrick grunted and headed out of the lab then Nick and Greg returned to processing the evidence.


	3. Chapter 3

Nick Stokes exited the evidence room where he had been and proceeded down the hall towards the coffee room. It was going to be another long night. They hadn't seen Grissom since Candi went in there and that was three hours ago. Nick tried to resist the urge to check on them. He had to learn to mind his own business. At least that's what Grissom thought.

Greg was being a nut-job. He wasn't focussing and Nick was getting tired of it. This case was getting to everyone. But there had to be way to convict Lucas Harper. All the evidence pointed toward him and they were out of suspects. If they didn't prove him guilty soon, they would lose him. It was tiring Nick right out and all he could do was keep on trucking. They'd never had a case this tough before and he didn't understand why the D.A. just wouldn't go with it. Turning into the coffee room, he found Catherine Willows and Sara Sidle seated on the white leather sofas. They were fellow CSIs and were working a different case. Sara was sipping a can of soda and Catherine was holding an unopened bottle of water.

"So, I heard about Grissom. I didn't know he had a daughter," Sara pointed out. Nick groaned. He didn't want to explain again.

"She showed up looking for him. What else is there to say?" he sighed as he reached for a mug. Sara smirked.

"I heard it was that new girl of Greg's.. What's her name.. Sandi?" Nick rolled his eyes.

"It's Candi… And so what? It's also a coincidence," he paused. "You think?" He stared at his co-workers. "So you think…" his voice trailed off. Sara smiled.

"Probably is. I mean, it's not like she knew that Greg worked for her father until she found him, right?" Catherine shrugged.

"You're probably right. Now come on, that evidence won't analyse itself." Without another word, the two women disappeared.

After pouring himself a cup of coffee, he headed out of the room. When he entered the hallway, a female voice began calling his name.

"Nick! Nicky!" He swung around and with wide eyes, he noticed his ex-girlfriend, Anna, standing in the doorway. She was large around the waist and appeared flushed. He went speechless. She stared at him for a moment and burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, Nicky," she smiled as she walked up to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's not yours." A sigh of relief escaped his throat and the color slowly returned to his cheeks.

"So what do you want?" he asked as he took a sip of his coffee and proceeded back to the evidence room. She glanced down to the diamond right on her left ring finger and played with it.

"I need a favor," she replied slowly and quietly .

"What kind of favor?" he asked cautiously as he lowered his cup.

"You see… My fiance's brother is in a little trouble with the law…" her voice trailed off. Nick stared at her.

"So? What can I do to help?"

"He's innocent. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and the cops are all over him. Please Nicky, help me." Nick sighed. How could he say no? This girl was one of his closest friends since childhood.

"OK," he said. "I'll check into it and see what I can do. What's his name?" Anna played with her engagement ring a little longer before meeting his gaze again.

"Lucas… Lucas Harper."


	4. Chapter 4

Greg waited impatiently for Nick to return. He couldn't keep his mind on his work and Nick kept him in line. All he could think about was Candi and Grissom. They had been in there a while and no one had heard from them.

"Maybe if I take a coffee break, I'll feel better." That's where Nick had disappeared to. When Greg turned the corner, he saw Nick and a pregnant lady in the hallway. Deciding to check into it and see what it was all about, he headed their way. On approaching Nick, he noticed he was as white as a ghost. He looked from his co-worker to the lady. "I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later," he murmured quietly.

After realizing it was probably none of his business, he entered the coffee room. He poured himself a cup and took a seat in the white sofa. He couldn't figure out why Lucas Harper just wouldn't confess. They had his DNA all over the sheets and the victim's blood on his shirt. He had motive for murdering Sandra Collins and lived three doors down. But the D.A insisted on more incriminating evidence. Lucas' DNA was under the victim's fingernails and he had been charged before with the same crime. "He should be strung by the balls," Greg thought bitterly as he flipped through a dirt bike magazine he'd found on the floor. Rape was a serious crime in this country and with Harper's DNA all over the crime scene and inside the victim, it was impossible to get any closer to the truth. He claimed it was consensual, rough, but consensual. He swore in his statement that when he left, she was very much alive. But they had no other suspects. No witnesses saw another man or woman enter the apartment. There was no evidence of another body. They'd been back to the crime scene four times and searched every nook and cranny. Not even a hair or a skin sample could be found. There was no trace of cleaners or disinfectants anywhere in the room. Bleach or CLR hadn't been used. Evidence showed that the killer had washed their hands in the bathroom sink before leaving. They had tested the soap and the only DNA on it was the victims and Lucas Harper's. All was very recent at the time. They only had a few more days before Crime Scene Cleanup moved into the apartment and it was up for rent again.

"I don't know," he thought. He was ready to give up. Though he had a feeling there was something they were missing. There had to be something they had missed in that apartment. "Maybe Grissom will OK it to go back there." Deciding to brave his boss, he left the coffee room and headed to Grissom's office

When the color finally returned to Nick's face, he stared at Anna. He must have heard wrong. Lucas Harper? Not the Lucas Harper? This couldn't be happening. Placing his hand in his forehead, he closed his eyes and went back into the coffee room. He motioned Anna to follow him. Offering her a seat, he placed his cup on the counter and leaned against the sofa.

"You're kidding?" he blurted. She stared at him with those big brown eyes and shook his head.

"I'm serious Nicky," she said solemnly. "Lucas needs your help." Nick shook his head.

"I'm not at leisure to discuss an on-going case, but Lucas Harper is guilty. All of our evidence points to him. We've tried, but there are no other suspects and no other evidence to indicate a third person." Anna's shimmering brown eyes filled with tears.

"I thought you could help him. He's innocent. I know where he was that night. He was with us. He went out with Sandra and came to our place around seven," she told him.

"Can anyone confirm that?" Nick asked as he took a sip of his coffee. She nodded.

"All of our poker buddies." Nick took in a deep breath.

"How long was he there?" he asked. She met his gaze with tear stained eyes.

"Until three am. I remember because that's when we ran out of party favors. He ran to the corner store and was back within five minutes. Sandra's apartment is on the other side of town," she explained. "He stayed another ten minutes and then left with our friend Nancy."

"Can she confirm that?" he asked. She nodded and pulled a piece of paper out of her bag.

"Here's her number." 

"How come we never spoke to you before? Lucas never mentioned a brother, his records don't show one either," Nick said, puzzled. She wiped her tears away.

"They're step brothers and we only see him once in a while." Nick frowned and put the sheet of paper in his pocket. "They didn't grow up together."

"Well, you write down the names of those poker buddies and we'll talk to them, is that OK?" he asked as he took a seat next to her. She nodded as she pulled a notebook out of her purse. After she did that, he escorted her to the front desk and let her go. Knowing he had to relay this information to Grissom, he headed for the bosses office. Upon rounding the corner, he noticed Greg standing anxiously outside the door.

"What are you up to Sanders?" he asked curiously. Greg played with his lab coat and pointed to the door.

"I need to ask Grissom something. I think we should go back to the crime scene. I think we're missing something." Nick smiled and held up his papers.

"And I think I found it." Greg snatched the papers from his co-worker.

"What is it?" he asked.

"My ex-girlfriend had some information that we seemed to have over looked. It turns out our suspect has a step brother we knew nothing about," he explained. Greg stared at him.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Grissom's got to know."


	5. Chapter 5

A knock on his office door startled Grissom. Candi had left and now he felt worse then ever. Where had he gone wrong? Myrna had left him, what was he supposed to do? She didn't want him to have anything to do with them because his work appeared more important. At the time he accepted that and dedicated himself to his work and withdrew from society. Maybe Candi was right, maybe he needed to stop worrying so much about his job and start looking at what life has to offer. His gaze shifted from the folder in front of him to the empty chair on the other side of the desk. They'd fought about just that. His work; and how much it meant to him. Then she'd left with a promise never to return again. Back to New York was where she was going. How was he going to tell Greg? The young man would be crushed. It was obvious that he truly cared for her. Another knock on the door drew him from his thoughts.

"It's open!" he called solemnly. Through the door burst Nick and Greg. Nick began rambling and Grissom didn't understand a word he was saying. Greg opened his mouth to speak until he noticed the empty chair before him. "Nick, calm down," Grissom ordered. He knew Greg was going to say something, but he couldn't bear to look at him. "Now, speak slower and clearer." When Nick opened his mouth to speak, Greg cut in.

"Where's Candi?" he asked, pursing his lips in disappointment. Grissom took in a deep breath and braved his friend's glare.

"On her way back to New York."

"What!" Both Nick and Greg were shocked. Greg took a step forward.

"What did you say to her?" he asked. His bottom lip was quivering and his words were shaky. "You prick!" he shouted without waiting for a response. Then, without saying another word, he flew out of the room. Taking in a deep breath, Grissom turned to Nick.

"What did you find?" he asked bravely. Nick stared at him in awe.

"What is going through your head lately?" he asked sharply. "Suddenly your daughter turns up and you seem more and more insensitive." The boss shook his head.

"I just want to wrap up this Harper case. Let me do that then I'll deal with my personal problems," he said. Nick wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"By then it'll be too late. Go after her! She is your daughter. Start fresh. This case is too much for you. I think you should back down." Grissom rose to his feet.

"Back down? Nick, we've been chasing this guy for months! You're telling me to back down! I need to find leads and witnesses. Answers to our questions!" Nick threw a sheet with a bunch of names on the desk.

"Here's your lead. A friend of mine knows Harper's step-brother. She gave me these names that were with him the night of the murder. Maybe you should check them out. I was going to but since this is so important to you, you can." Sneering, he turned around and headed for the door. Pausing, he looked to his boss one more time. "I'm not sure, but I don't think Harper is even our guy." After that, he disappeared. Calling for Greg. Grissom stared at the sheet. This wasn't happening. A lead? One that could take them straight to Harper? Nick had to be wrong. All the evidence pointed at Harper and this was going to help them get him.

"Greg!" A voice bellowed in the distance. "Greg! Come back here!" Tears of anger in his eyes, Greg ignored Nick's call. He had to catch Candi before she went to the airport. She could stay in Las Vegas and have nothing to do with her father. How could Grissom do this? This was a side of Grissom that rarely showed, if ever. If his boss chased his girlfriend off for good, Greg would never forgive him. He cared a lot about Candi and just because her father was his boss, it wasn't gonna stop him from going after her.

"Please be there, please be there," he murmured as he sped through an empty intersection. Candi's apartment wasn't too far from the lab, so she could be anywhere by now. He kept his eyes on the sidewalk in case she wasn't there yet. As he rounded the street to her apartment, his heart began to beat faster. He prayed with all he could that she was there. Upon pulling up beside the building, he jumped out of his red sports car and dashed for the apartment. A nice old lady held the door for him and he raced for the elevator.

"Oh Candi, if you're not there I'll drive around all night looking for you. I'll even go to New York." When he reached the 20th floor, he hurried out of the elevator to suite 2019. The door wasn't locked so he assumed she was home. He was wrong. Rocky, her pug, was gone, and all her ornaments were missing. A piece of paper on the kitchen table caught his eye. He slowly approached it and picked it up. The words on the paper crushed him. He wasn't sure if he was angry or sad.

Greg

I knew you would come looking for me, that's why I left this note. I'm sorry it had to end like this. I really, really like you, maybe even love you. But I can't be where I'm not wanted. Things didn't go as I had hoped with my father - er, I should say Gil. So I am on my way back to New York to work things out with Mac, the only real father I've ever known. So this is goodbye. We may meet again someday.

Sincerely, Candi.

"Maybe I can catch her at the airport," he thought. Rushing out of the apartment, he hopped into his car and sped to the airport. It was crowded and there was no parking. He slipped into a handicapped spot and ran into the terminal. He looked around for the announcement board to find himself a bit of luck. The 9:15 flight to New York had been cancelled. With a spark of hope, he decided to double check. Butting to the font of the line, he looked at the teller.

"Sorry, sir, you must wait your turn," she said kindly. He shook his head.

"I'm not here to buy a ticket, I just want to make sure the 9:15 flight to New York was really cancelled." The lady nodded and looked at him with a smile.

"Yes it was. All passengers for that flight were transferred to the 9:25 flight to Dallas. There is a flight there that will connect them to New York," she informed him."It left twenty minutes ago. Sorry if you missed it." Crushed, Greg backed out of the line and collapsed on an empty seat. This couldn't be happening. She had really left. "I'll kill you Grissom," he muttered as he jumped to his feet and headed back to the parking lot. Upon ariving, he found that his car had been towed. Frustration filled his veins and he sat down on the curb.

"Great," he grumbled. "Now have to call a cab." Pulling out his cell phone, he punched in the number for the cab company.


	6. Chapter 6

Sara Sidle groaned as she dragged her tired body through the halls of the crime lab. It had been a long day. All she felt like doing was going home and curling up on the sofa. Maybe watch a little TV. It was no mistake, she loved her job, but sometimes… she felt like she needed a break. Catherine and herself were working a different case than Nick and Greg. They were trying to catch a serial rapist. He had claimed five victims already. Three of them were dead. Now she had to piece together all the evidence they collected from the three crime scenes and try to find this guy. There wasn't even a known suspect yet.

"Grissom," she muttered bitterly as she turned into the DNA lab. The new technician, Mia, wasn't working tonight. Instead, she had a replacement, Helen McGregor, standing in. Helen was a friendly young woman who was good at what she did. She stood about Sara's height and had long, blonde hair and piercing green eyes. With a faint smile, Sara leaned against the door and looked to her co-worker. "Any hits on that DNA we retrieved from the victims?" she asked. Helen nodded and handed Sara two sheets of paper.

"You have two donors. Three of the girls had both DNA inside of them and the other two had just one," she explained. "Which three?"

"Your DB's." Sara took in a deep breath.

"So… our vics all have one guy in common… And three of them have two guys in common… I don't quite understand where this is going. Did you run the DNA through CODIS?" she asked. Helen nodded.

"I was just getting to that. One of your guys came up. The guy who was with all five." Sara studied the familiar face on the screen. Davis Lattenberg. That was the man Warrick was after. She smiled and Helen and took off.

"I gotta tell Warrick and Catherine." She headed quickly down the hall. In the coffee room, Warrick and Catherine were laughing at something in a magazine. "Is it just me, or am I the only one doing my job tonight?" she asked as she entered the room. The two CSI's stopped and looked to her.

"I was just waiting for you," Catherine said as she straightened her back. Sara wrinkled her nose and handed the sheets of paper to her partner then looked to Warrick.

"Looks like were working the same case." Warrick leaned over Catherine's shoulder.

"Let me see that," he demanded playfully. Catherine handed it to him and looked up to Sara. "Davis Lattenberg, eh? Well, What about the other donor?" Sara shook her head.

"No hits, but Helen's working on it." Catherine groaned. Sara rolled her eyes. She was tired and wanted to lay down on the couch for a nap. As the thought was becoming more and more tempting, Helen burst through the doors with a big smile.

"I got something on your other donor!" she exclaimed excitedly. Startled, Sara jumped to her feet and tried to catch her breath, She caught her co-workers snickering.

"What is it?" Catherine asked. "Is it any link to our previous suspects?" Helen shook her head.

"No, but it does have thirteen alleles in common with Davis Lattenberg. How I didn't catch that before is far beyond me. But I decided to runt hem against each other, and boom!" she smiled and handed the sheet of paper to Catherine. Turning around, she waved and stepped out of the room.

"Good luck!" she called before disappearing down the hall.

"I didn't even know Davis Lattenberg had a brother," Warrick said as he took the sheet from Catherine. Sara peeked over his shoulder and noticed there was a name and address attached.

"Let's go bring this guy in," she said as she headed hastily for the door. Catherine and Warrick followed her. She paused when she noticed Grissom step around the corner and into his office. There was a petite, dark haired woman with him who had to be no older than twenty five. They were smiling and laughing. As Sara took in a deep breath, she felt a pang of jealousy in the pit of her stomach. Catherine faced her partner and waved her over.

"Come on Sara. Let's get this guy before he realizes we're out to get him." Nodding, Sara looked away from Grissom's office and began walking toward the exit. While she walked, Greg flung through the double doors and stormed down the hall. He appeared to be muttering useless threats beneath his breath. She took in a breath to holler to him, but Catherine stopped her.

"None of our business, now let's go."

Angry, frustrated and tired, all Greg could think about was how upset he was. The thought of Candi leaving wasn't the hard part, it was dealing with the reasons why. He headed right for Grissom's office to state his mind. When he arrived, the door was shut and laughter was coming from inside. Rage flew through his veins as he contemplated how his boss could be so happy after what happened tonight. Rarely did Grissom laugh like that, and after what he did that evening, he shouldn't be laughing. Grabbing the door handle, Greg flung the door open and stared at his unusually happy boss. The man wasn't alone, obviously. He was with a young woman who somewhat resembled Sara. Long straight hair framed her delicate young face and shimmering green eyes were filled with pride and hope.

"Greg," Grissom greeted casually. "What can I do for you?" Greg stared at him in disbelief.

"What can you do for me? What can you do for me?" he asked angrily. "I just chased my girlfriend al over town in a failed attempt to get her to stay. All because of you! My car was towed and now I'm out a hundred bucks for a cab and another three hundred and fifty to get my car out! Assuming it won't be in the scrap heap by tomorrow!" Grissom's eyes went wide with surprise, then softened again.

"Sorry," he said, then he pointed to the girl across from him. "Greg, this is Natalie. She'll be a new CSI with us. And intern sort of but-" Greg cut him off.

"Sorry! You scare my girlfriend away and you're sorry? What kind of -" he was so frustrated that the words couldn't come out right. "Forget it!" he shouted. "I'm gonna go do my job. Something you don't seem to be doing very well at the moment." Leaving the office upset and unsatisfied, Greg slammed the door and headed out to find Nick.

The next day was long and Sara was getting frustrated. Catherine and Warrick were gone to bring in Davis Lattenberg. They found an address in the database so they were going to check it out. They tried the night before, but all they found was a ransacked apartment. An undercover cop gave them a tip on where he might be. Now all Sara could do was wait. She was analysing a scrap of a worn receipt when Grissom entered the room.

"Is Greg around?" he asked softly. She shook her head.

"Haven't seen him since last night." His gaze met hers. "He seemed pretty pissed. What happened between you guys?" Grissom shrugged.

"I need to talk to him. If you see him, beep me." Sara nodded and returned to her work. Another hour passed before Catherine and Warrick returned. Both of them looked angry.

"No luck?" Sara asked as she put her magnifying glass down. The two CSI's groaned.

"Nothing. He scoot before we even got there. It may sound shady, but I think that undercover cop is in on this whole thing." Her face lit up. "Warrick," she whipped around. "Run his DNA against our unknown sample," she ordered. He hesitated.

"But-"

"Do it. If you get in trouble, I'll cover for you." He nodded and headed out of the room. Grissom returned once more and motioned the girls out.

"I have someone I'd like you to meet." Sara groaned in displeasure as she followed her boss out of the examination room. Disgust filled her veins when she saw the pretty dark haired girl seated in the coffee room. "We have a new addition to our team." They tagged behind him as he entered the small, white room. Shortly after Warrick and Nick joined them, but no sign of Greg.

"Team," Grissom began as he pointed to the young girl. She was dressed in a black skirt and jacket with a white tank top underneath. That long, brown hair was tied back in a half ponytail. "This is our new member. She will be working with me and Nick on the Harper case." Sara rolled her eyes, trying to maintain herself.

"Uh-huh," Catherine muttered impatiently. "Can we go now?"

"Wait," he said patiently. "She was transferred here from San Francisco and has been added to our Night crew." Sara wrinkled her nose. Warrick extended his hand and shook hers.

"Warrick Brown, CSI 3. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. But I have a case I need to be working on. We can chat later." The girl nodded and Catherine introduced herself.

"Catherine Willows. As much as I would like to stay and talk, I have a case to lead and I need to be working on it. See you around." Sara's co-workers looked to her. With a groan, she shook the girl's hand.

"I'm Sara; and I'm going. Nice to meet you," she looked to Catherine and Warrick. "Let's get going." The girl let go of her hand and looked around nervously.

"Natalie," she said timidly. "Natalie Sidle."


End file.
